Vehicle-tire.



Patented Apr. l0, I900. H. SCHNEPP.

VEHICLE TIRE.

(Application filed Dec. 20, 1898.)

2 Shoeta-Sh6et l.

(No Model.)

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N0. 64m. Patented Apr. m, moo.

H. SCHNEPP. V

,VEHlG-LE TIRE.

(Application filed Dec. 20, was.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shea! 2 ATES VEHICLE-TIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 647,118, dated April10, 1900. Application filed December 20, 1898. Serial No. 699,878. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HANS SCHNEPP, technician, a subject of the King ofBavaria, residing at No. 54 Goggingerstrasse, Augsburg, Kingdom ofBavaria, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Tires, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in elastic tires for thewheels of cycles and other vehicles, and more particularly toimprovements in the type of single-tube tire characterized by the coverbeing held extended by two hoops held apart by springs of elasticmaterial, such as rubber, arranged crossing each other and connected tothe two hoops; and it is the special object of this invention toconstruct and arrange these springs in such a way that two of them arecombined in one piece.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings, of which Figure 1is a section through a tire. Fig. 2' shows the rubber spring I). Fig. 3shows the flat rubber piece t, and Figs. at to 7 show modifications insection and plan.

Within the tube h, of rubber or other pliant material, which constitutesthe tire-carcass,

two hoops a and c are placed. These hoops extend around the entireinterior circumference, the one, a, lying within the concavity of therim or felly e, and the other, a, slightly larger in diameter, extendinginternally around the tread of the tire. Both these hoops are, like therim, curved or concave in cross-section, and they are so placed in thecarcass that the convexity of the one, a, near the internal surface ofthe tread is directed toward the concavity of the one, o, lying in theconcavity of the rim 6.

Hereinafter the hoop c, lying in the rim,will be referred to as theinner rim, and that near the internal surface of the tread will bereferred to as the outer hoop.

The inner hoop c is fastened to the rim c by means of bolts or screws f,and the outer one a is held apart from it by means of a number ofelastic springs 1), formed, preferably, of short fiat pieces of rubber.The end of each piece or spring I) is provided with a hook s, whichserves for hooking it into holes provided near the ends of the outerhoop a. These springs h or pieces of rubber are passed under the innerhoop c, then crossed, and the hookss at their extremities hooked intothe eyes or holes in the outer hoop.

The inner hoop c has its edges curled up or bent inward to prevent themcutting the rubber springs, while the edges of the outer hoop are bentor curled outward to grip or hold the edges of a stretchable supportingband 6, which I am now about to describe. This supporting-band i, Fig.3, consists of an endless strip of rubber or like elastic material andhas hooks it provided at intervals alongboth edges. This band if isstretched around the external periphery of the outer hoop a and issecured in position by fastening the hooks to on its edges around theoutwardly curled edges of the outer hoop, so that it forms a bridge, soto speak,over the concavity of the said hoop, upon the top of whichbridge the internal surface k of the tread h rests. This internalsurface may be of any contour, but is preferably semicylindricalthat isto say, semicircularin cross-section or following the curvature of theouter hoop. This arrangement is for the purpose of increasing theresiliency of the tire.

The thickened portion h or tread of the tire 7?. may be either integralwith the tube forming the carcass or it may be a thick band separatetherefrom and inserted and secured in a circumferential recess in thecarcass tube.

Instead of the rubber band t being a separate piece from thecarcass-tube it may be so constructed as to take its place as well asperform its own function by extending it or making it of sufficientwidth to be secured direct to the rim or felly, Fig. 4, of the wheel inthe one direction and in the other direction forming it into a thickenedportion for a tread k and in this latter case the internal surface ofthe thickened portion would of course form the bridge over the outerhoop. In this modification, as shown in Fig. 4, hooks a are arranged onthe internal surface of band i, behind which hooks grip the edges of theouter rim 0..

The modification shown in Fig. 5 consists therein that the spring I) isformed in such a manner that it serves at the same time as a bridge overthe outer rim a, so that one can do away with the rubber band i,referred to in ,2 G iiQliS Fig. 1. In this case the springs b are largerat the ends than in the middle part, where they are crossed, so that theends completely cover the outer rim a, to the-edges of which rim theyare fastened by means of hooks s. Hooks s or ribs 5- are provided on theinher side of b, which grip behind the inwardlycurved edges of the outerrim or to increase the fastening of the different parts.

In' Fig. 7 is shown a further modification therein, consisting that theinner rim 0 is fastened, together with the tire h, to a separate piece yby means of screws 2. In the coverpiece y recesses w for the spokes Aare provided. The outer rim (1 is, although larger, formed in the samemanner as the inner rim 0. The springs 79 are hooked by means of hooks 5into holes in the edges of the inner rim 10, so that the fiat or middlepart of the springs cover the outer rim a, forming the above-mentionedbridge, as a rest for the tread 77,

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an elastic tire essentially composed of two concentric rings inconnection with the ordinary rim, the combination of a number of flatrubber springs having a hook at each end passed around the under side ofthe inner concentric ring, the two extremities of said rubber springsafter having been crossed hooked into holes provided in the sides of theouter concentric ring, a stretchable band spread over said outerconcentric ring and fastened to its outwardly-curled edges by means ofhooks, said stretchable band forminga re silient support for theinternal surface of the tread-of the outer tire-cover and said coversurrounding the two concentric rings with springs and resilient band,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an elastic tire essentially composed of two concentric rings inconnection, with the ordinary rim, said rings being held apart by anumber of flat rubber springs passed beneath the inner concentric ringand having their extremities secured to the outer concentric ring, anouter cover resting on a stretchable band, placed over and laterallysecured to the outer ring surrounding the whole and secured to theordinary rim, the inner concentric ring shaped inwardly curved incrosssection in combination with the centrally inwardly curved outerconcentric ring, said outer concentric ring being provided with holes ateither side for the hooks of the springs and the edges of the outer ringcurled inwardly to preventinjuring the outer coverand to receive thefastening-hooks of the stretchable band placed thereon,substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HANS SOHNEPP.

